AMBER AND CLAY

In this creative pastiche of mystery, history, mythology, philosophy, and magic, listeners follow the entwined fates of two children in ancient Greece. The "amber" is Melisto, an impetuous, aristocratic Athenian girl. Rachel Botchan narrates her story using crisp enunciation and slightly strident tones that accentuate Melisto's tempestuous character. The "clay" is Rhaskos, an introspective, artistic Thracian slave boy. Tom Picasso voices his first-person narrative in verse, subtly capturing Rhaskos's sensitivity and curiosity. Both narrators skillfully characterize an ensemble of gods and mortals in verse or alternating dialogues. Picasso's characterizations of a delightfully charming Hermes and a gentle, mischievous Socrates are particularly engaging. Listeners can appreciate the finely crafted visual structure of the text with the book in hand. S.A.A. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2021]